The Washington police plan to escort the fascists to the scene of this weekend’s rally and “protect” them from anti-fascist demonstrators. And the Washington, D.C. transportation authorities had been pushing a plan to provide separate Metro cars for fascist demonstrators, which it abandoned only in the face of mass opposition by transit workers.

The World Socialist Web Site, which has been a central target of the censorship campaign, has led the fight against the attack on free speech. In a letter to Google published nearly one year ago, the WSWS demanded that Google “stop blacklisting the WSWS and renounce the censorship of all the left-wing, socialist, anti-war and progressive websites.” It added, “Censorship on this scale is political blacklisting. The obvious intent of Google’s censorship algorithm is to block news that your company does not want reported and to suppress opinions with which you do not agree.”

In January, we issued an open letter calling for “socialist, anti-war, left-wing and progressive websites, organizations and activists” to join “an international coalition to fight Internet censorship.”

As the technology giants intensify their efforts to censor the Internet, the World Socialist Web Site is expanding and intensifying its campaign against internet censorship on the basis of the demands outlined in the open letter:

* Safeguarding the Internet as a platform for political organization and the free exchange of information, culture and diverse viewpoints, guided by the principle that access to the Internet is a right and must be free and equally available for all.

* Uncompromising insistence on the complete independence of the Internet from control by governments and private corporations.

* Unconditional defense of net neutrality and free, unfettered and equal access to the Internet.

* The banning and illegalization of government and corporate manipulation of search algorithms and procedures, including the use of human evaluators, that restrict and block public visibility of websites.

* Demanding the end to the persecution of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and the complete restoration of their personal freedom.

* Advocating the transformation of the corporate Internet monopolies into public utilities, under internationally coordinated democratic control, to provide the highest quality service, not private profit.

* The fight against Internet censorship and the defense of democratic rights cannot be conducted through appeals to capitalist governments and the parties and politicians who serve their interests, but only in uncompromising struggle against them. Moreover, this struggle is international in scope and totally opposed to every form and manifestation of national chauvinism, racism and imperialist militarism. Therefore, those who are truly committed to the defense of democratic rights must direct their efforts to the mobilization of the working class of all countries.

Meanwhile, the array of pseudo-left organizations that operate in the orbit of the Democratic Party, and which represent privileged sections of the middle class, have ignored the censorship drive and covered up its far-reaching implications.

This demonstrates that the fight against Internet censorship must be rooted in the working class, the vast majority of the population. The defense of free speech online is essential for the working class as it enters into struggle to defend is social rights and oppose inequality, war and the capitalist system.

We call on all of our readers to take up the fight against internet censorship by contacting us today.

This November 2011 video from the USA is called State Department Veteran Peter Van Buren Defies US Censors to Recount Failed Iraq Reconstruction.

Some of you are aware I have been permanently banned from Twitter as @wemeantwell.

This followed exchanges with several mainstream journalists over their support for America’s wars and unwillingness to challenge the lies of government. After two days of silence, Twitter sent me an auto-response saying what I wrote “harasses, intimidates, or uses fear to silence someone else’s voice.”

I don’t think I did any of that, and I wish you didn’t have to accept my word on it. I wish instead you could read what I wrote and decide for yourself. But Twitter won’t allow that. Twitter says you cannot read and make up your own mind. They have in fact eliminated all the things I have ever written there over seven years, disappeared me down the Memory Hole. That’s what censorship does; it takes the power to decide what is right and wrong away from you and gives it to someone else.

Hate what I write, hate me, block me, don’t buy my books, but please don’t celebrate handing over those choices to some company.

Nearly a year after the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, the Anti-Defamation League launched an interactive map that details extremist and anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S., the organization announced Thursday.

Hovering above the ADL H.E.A.T. (Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism) Map, which is black and features color-code dots over a white-outlined map of the U.S., is a statistic: There were 3,023 incidents of extremism or anti-Semitism in the country in 2017 and 2018. The dots represent extremist activities, such as extremist-related murders, terrorist plots and attacks, anti-Semitic incidents and white supremacist propaganda on and off campus.

Acting as part of the US-led “Five Eyes” intelligence network, the Australian government is seeking to push through parliament an encryption-cracking bill that would set an international precedent for far-reaching internet surveillanceÑ here.

10 thoughts on “Stop Internet censorship”

LDF. Defend. Educate. Empower.
One Year After Charlottesville
Petition: Congress must take action
ADD YOUR NAME

Almost one year ago, white supremacists incited violence and hatred in Charlottesville, Virginia—taking the life of Heather Heyer, injuring over 30 others, and contributing to the deaths of two state troopers.

LDF and our supporters responded by demanding that Congress take action to combat white supremacy.

Since then, we’ve seen almost no movement from our representatives on this issue. As we approach the first anniversary of Charlottesville, the city – and our nation – is still struggling to define itself in the wake of this tragedy. We need to stand firm on our demands.

Sign our petition now to urge your representatives to do the following:
• Denounce this year’s Unite the Right rally
• Hold oversight hearings with government leaders about efforts to prosecute hate and domestic terrorism crimes, and enforce civil rights laws
• Oppose judicial and executive nominees who have supported or condoned white supremacist activities, organizations, or ideologies and whose records do not demonstrate a clear commitment to civil rights and the rule of law
• Hold hearings on and pass legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act and other bills that would protect the right to vote
ADD YOUR NAME
Our political leaders must go further than simply tweeting their outrage – and we must continue to hold them accountable, especially as dangerous white supremacist groups plan another “Unite the Right” rally on August 12.

Add your name now and tell Congress you will not stand by as white supremacists threaten the lives of people of color, Jewish and LGBTQ individuals.

With you in struggle,
Sherrilyn A. Ifill
President and Director-Counsel

P.S. White supremacy is a part of our nation’s history, but we cannot allow it to poison our future. Tell your elected officials exactly what they can do to fight white supremacy – add your name now.

It’s been one year since the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville.

One year since Nazis with torches felt bold enough to openly march in the streets of our city. One year since peaceful protestor Heather Heyer was killed when a car accelerated into one of the Charlottesville crowds.

And one year later, the disgraceful Confederate statues that prompted the protests still stand.

We haven’t forgotten. It’s time to remove these symbols of hatred and division — on the one-year anniversary of Charlottesville, will you add your name to our petition to tear down these statues?

It’s long past time these Confederate statues were gone.

And even though more and more are being taken down across the country, the number of recorded Confederate statues has actually INCREASED. Even more are being discovered as we tear more and more down!

How we honor and venerate symbols matters. How we react to fascist tactics and violence matters. And how we respond today, on the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Charlottesville, matters.

We have to remove every single one of these statues. Can you sign right now to take a stand against bigotry and hate?

One year ago, white supremacists marched in the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia. Their rally to “Unite the Right” ended in violence, bloodshed, and loss of life.

Now, one year later, they’re planning to do it again, marching outside the White House in Washington D.C.

I said it then, and I’ll say it now: What these fringe groups are promoting is hatred and bigotry, plain and simple. We must do everything we can to reject the divisive rhetoric and violence that they represent.

Together, we can prove that the politics of racism, resentment, and prejudice will never win. Together, we can show that the values of diversity, equality, and justice stand stronger than ever, even in the face of hate.

On the anniversary of the Charlottesville rallies, join me in standing in solidarity with all who are targeted by hatred, prejudice, and violence.

Over the last two years, Washington state and our country have seen a spike in extreme sexist, racist, and xenophobic rhetoric — of which the presence of neo-Nazis and Klansmen marching in the streets is just one prominent example.

And whether it’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, Muslim bans, separating families, or Donald Trump’s initial refusal to condemn the violence at last year’s Charlottesville rally, the actions of this administration have emboldened fringe radicals to bring their hatred to a national stage and intimidate vulnerable communities.

We all can and must do more to create a country where all Americans, regardless of race, gender, religion, and origin are accepted — especially when our administration won’t. But that will take all of us standing together.

This weekend, join me in standing in solidarity with all who are targeted by hatred and violence.